Types and Concentrations of Catalysts in Chemical Glycerolysis for the Production of Monoacylglycerols and Diacylglycerols
Edy Subroto, Rossi Indiarto, Aldila Din Pangawikan, Elazmanawati Lembong, Riva Hadiyanti
Abstract
Monoacylglycerol (MAG) and diacylglycerol (DAG) are structured lipids that have been widely used in various pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. MAG and DAG are generally produced by chemical glycerolysis. Chemical catalysts have been shown to be more efficient, economical, and effective. This study summarizes and discusses the factors that affect the synthesis of MAG and DAG by chemical glycerolysis, such as temperature, reaction time, and type and concentration of catalysts that affect the resulting MAG and DAG concentrations. Homogeneous catalysts such as KOH and NaOH are very effective for generating MAG and DAG conversions up to 91%, but they have a disadvantage, mainly because they cannot be used repeatedly. However, heterogeneous catalysts have great potential to be developed into catalysts with high activity, environmentally friendly, and can be used repeatedly.